There are stories that start and finish, leaving an aftertaste that lingers for a while and gradually fades away. And there are tales that absorb you, mesmerise you and stay with you long after you've finished devouring them.

Despite Stolen Dreams is one such tale. The book starts in the Kashmir valley, giving the readers a glimpse of the terror-stricken state. A family is forced to flee the valley to escape terrorists, who were holding them hostage. Wali is restless when he lands in a city he cannot relate to at any level. Nothing seems even closely familiar and he and his family feel like outsiders in their new surroundings. As they try to settle in their new lives, life brings them friends in complete strangers. Wali finds Kashmira Singh, who changes his outlook towards life through his positivism and faith in himself and life begins to move on a bit more pleasantly. And just when they are on the verge of making peace with the sudden jolt that life had dealt them, their horrid past, that continued to haunt them over the years, returns and threatens to throw their lives apart once again.

A beautifully crafted tale, this one takes you deep into its characters and their emotions. Each character is explained beautifully with insight into what makes people behave the way they do. As a reader, you feel for Wali and literally live through his fears and uneasiness. On the other hand, Shakeel, the terror face in the novel, goes through a transformation after almost losing his life. The character of Kashmira Singh infuses life into the story and his laugh is infectious even through the words! 

The story flows smoothly with every incident either leading to the next or revealing a character's nuances. The author even details supporting characters beautifully, be it Wali's mother whose heart aches to return to her homeland and is skeptical of marrying off her darling granddaughter into a family she barely knows or Shakeel's terrorist group and the way they make their way to spread terror. 

Anita Krishan's way of weaving words is her strength. Unlike other stories set against a terror backdrop that are mostly about love and romance, this one is about a family and the people around it. She brings in love, laughter, tears and even surprise through her wonderful narration, compelling you to read on without a break. 

If Indian fiction is your genre, this one is a must read. Versatile, modern and yet humane, that's how I will sum up this lovely tale.